Fraud and Scam Protection
Written in plain language for general understanding. This is educational content, not legal advice. Based on UK Acts of Parliament, statutory instruments, and official guidance.
UK National Law
What is this right?
The UK has several layers of protection against fraud and scams:
- Section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act 1974: If you paid between £100 and £30,000 on a credit card, the card company is jointly liable with the seller. If the goods are faulty, never arrive, or the company goes bust, claim from your credit card provider.
- Chargeback: For debit card or smaller credit card purchases, you can ask your bank to reverse the payment ("chargeback"). This isn't a legal right but a Visa/Mastercard scheme rule — time limits vary but typically 120 days.
- Authorised Push Payment (APP) fraud: If you were tricked into sending money to a scammer, your bank must reimburse you in most cases under the mandatory reimbursement rules (from October 2024), up to £85,000.
When does it apply?
- Section 75 applies to credit card purchases between £100 and £30,000 — even if you only paid a small part on the credit card.
- Chargeback applies to debit and credit card payments of any amount — contact your bank within 120 days.
- APP reimbursement applies when you are a victim of a scam and sent money directly to the fraudster (not when you authorised a legitimate payment that went wrong).
- Report fraud to Action Fraud (the national fraud reporting centre) — 0300 123 2040 or online.
What should you do?
- Act immediately — contact your bank or card provider as soon as you suspect fraud.
- For credit card disputes, make a Section 75 claim in writing to your credit card company — they have 8 weeks to respond.
- For debit card fraud, request a chargeback from your bank.
- Report to Action Fraud — this helps police track patterns and investigate organised fraud.
- If your bank refuses to reimburse, complain to the Financial Ombudsman Service (FOS) — their decisions are binding on the bank.
What should you NOT do?
- Don't delay — time limits apply for chargebacks and Section 75 claims.
- Don't delete evidence — keep emails, messages, screenshots, transaction records, and phone records.
- Don't be embarrassed — scams are increasingly sophisticated. Reporting helps protect others.
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